Plastic traveler



Aug. 17, 1943. w, P 2,326,831

PLASTIC TRAVELER Filed March 51 1942 WATER //VSOLUBLE CELLULOJE [THE/T WATER //V50LUELE CELLULOSE Eff/7? WATER //VJ0LUBL CELLULOJE ETHER I N VEN TOR.

l V/Y/fam N. 6am 0 A TTO/P/VEYJ Patented Aug. 17, 1943 PLASTIC TRAVELER William M. Camp, Glen Ridge, N. J., assignor to The Clark Thread Company, Newark, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 31, 1942, Serial No. 436,962

7 Claims.

This invention relates to travelers which are used on spinning and twisting frames in the textile industry.

In the past, travelers have been made of either steel or bronze, the bronze being used mostly on wet twisting, where the presence of water makes it undesirable to use steel. These travelers rotate around the ring at a high speed, and in the case of twisting where the drag on the traveler is heavy it is necessary to provide lubrication between the traveler and the ring, this taking the form of an oil or grease. Even under conditions of good lubrication, wear takes place on the traveler and also on the ring and the fine particles of metal which are worn 011 become embedded in the grease and are subsequently oxidized and thus form visible stains on the yarns or threads. These stains consist of oxides, carbonates, soaps, etc., of the respective traveler and ring metals, and are very difficult to remove in the ordinary processes of kier-boiling and bleaching.

Many attempts have been made to make travelers of materials, other than steel and bronze, using materials including hard rubber and glass. These materials, however, have not been satisfactory because of their brittleness and poor resistance against wear.

It is an object of this invention to provide a traveler possessing properties which have long been sought, including the following:

1. A longer life than steel or bronze travelers.

2. Requiring less lubrication than steel or bronze travelers or no lubrication.

3. Producing little or no wear on the steel ring and therefore obviating the contamination of the yarn or thread referred to above.

4. Corrosion resistance, to avoid corrosion in wet twisting.

The invention will be further described by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which d Fig. 1 shows one type of conventional ring with a traveler mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 shows a traveler for use with the ring of Fi 1;

Fig. 3 shows another type of conventional ring with a traveler mounted thereon; and

Fig. 4 shows a traveler for use with the ring shown in Fig. 3.

In accordance with the generic aspect of this invention, travelers are made from water insoluble cellulose ethers in general. In accordance with a more specific aspect, travelers are made from a water insoluble alkyl cellulose, e. g., ethyl cellulose, propyl cellulose, butyl cellulose, etc. The technique of making such ethers per se is well known including the control of the ethoxyl or alkoxyl content, for example, and the use of various plasticizers and is subject to Variation by those skilled in the art, in the light of this invention, to produce an ether meeting the preferred criteria of said invention. These criteria include toughness, flexibility, abrasion resistance and corrosion resistance. Flexibility is necessary because the traveler is usually mounted on the ring by flexing the jaws thereof. Toughness and shock or impact resistance is desired to minimize breakage. Corrosion resistance is desired to prevent corrosion in wet twisting.

Travelers vary in shape and no details relating thereto need be given since the form and shape of travelers is well known. The travelers may be molded or machined from extruded or otherwise preformed stock. In some cases, it may be desired to provide a traveler having a wearing surface of a cellulose ether carried by a metallic core. This may be done by using a steel or alloy core, for example, and molding a cellulose ether composition around that core.

What is claimed is:

1. A traveler, the wearing surface of which comprises a water insoluble cellulose ether.

2. A traveler composed essentially of a water insoluble cellulose ether.

3. A traveler, the wearing surface of which comprises a water insoluble alkyl cellulose.

4. A traveler composed essentiaally of a water insoluble ethyl cellulose.

5. A traveler having a metallic core and a wearing surface composed essentially of a water insoluble cellulose ether.

6. A traveler composed essentially of a water insoluble alkyl cellulose.

7. A traveler, the wearing surface of which comprises .a water insoluble ethyl cellulose.

WILLIAM M. CAMP 

